Tuesday, August 5, 2014

10 Best Low Price Stocks To Own For 2014

Costco Wholesale net income rose 3% in the third-quarter as the warehouse club operator's sales and membership fees improved.

A key sales figure rose both in the U.S. and abroad, but its earnings fell short of Wall Street expectations. Its shares slipped in pre-market trading Thursday.

Costco's stores offer members the ability to buy items in bulk at low prices.

Net income for the 12 weeks ended May 11 rose 3% to $473 million, or $1.07 per share. That compares with net income $459 million, or $1.04 per share. Analysts expected $1.09 per share, according to FactSet.

Revenue rose 7% to $25.79 billion from $24.08 billion last year. Analysts expected $25.68 billion.

Revenue in stores open at least one year rose 5% in the U.S. and 3% internationally. Excluding gas prices and foreign currency fluctuation, the figure rose 6% in the U.S. and 8% internationally.

Hot Machinery Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Vocus Inc.(VOCS)

Vocus, Inc. provides cloud marketing software that enables businesses attract, engage, and retain customers in the United States, Europe, Asia, and Morocco. It offers a suite of software for social media marketing, search marketing, email marketing, and publicity. The company?s cloud marketing solutions include search marketing and news distribution solution that helps customers increase their online visibility and organic search engine rankings with press releases; and email marketing solution, which provides a method of keeping in touch with prospects and customers by using professional looking emails to send newsletters, special offers, and other useful content. Its cloud marketing solutions also comprise social media software solution that helps customers run social marketing campaigns, as well as monitor and analyze conversations across multiple social networks and other online Websites; and publicity solution, which offers media database, news monitoring, and analyt ics and publicity opportunities that help companies increase their media exposure, manage relationships with reporters, and monitor and analyze trends unfolding in the media. The company also provides professional services that consist of data migration, custom development, and training. Vocus, Inc. sells its products to the financial and insurance, technology, healthcare and pharmaceutical, and retail and consumer products industries, as well as government agencies, not-for-profit organizations, and educational institutions through its direct sales channels, indirect sales channels, and the Internet. Vocus, Inc. was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in Beltsville, Maryland.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By The GeoTeam]

    Our recent 2013 articles on SaaS companies Selectica (SLTC), E2open (EOPN), Responsys (MKTG), Vocus (VOCS), and ExactTarget (ET) highlighted such opportunities. The average return since the inception of our coverage currently stands at around 34% (55% at their highs).

  • [By Alex Planes]

    What: Shares of Vocus (NASDAQ: VOCS  ) have plunged 15% today after the company's forward guidance failed to impress the Street.

    So what: Vocus reported its earnings last evening, and both the $46.6 million top line and the $0.01 earnings per share result were better than Wall Street's consensus, which sought a $45.3 million revenue number and a $0.02 loss per share. However, third-quarter guidance of $46.5 million to $46.8 million on the top line is below the $47 million consensus, and a $0.03 to $0.04 EPS result is roughly in line with the $0.03 consensus. Additionally, the full fiscal year's guidance of $188 million to $189 million is roughly in line with the $188.2 million consensus.

  • [By Rich Smith]

    In a separate statement, the company announced a small change in management, bringing in ex-Vocus (NASDAQ: VOCS  ) Chief Operating Officer William R. Wagner to become its own COO. In an SEC filing, LogMeIn noted that it will pay Wagner $400,000 in annual base salary, plus:

10 Best Low Price Stocks To Own For 2014: UTStarcom Inc.(UTSI)

UTStarcom Holdings Corp. designs and sells Internet protocol (IP)-based telecommunications infrastructure products to telecommunications service providers and operators worldwide. It provides solutions in IPTV, interactive (iD) TV, Internet TV, and broadband, as well as related installation and maintenance services. It offers multimedia communications products, including RollingStream, an IPTV solution that enables a service provider to deliver broadcast television and on-demand video services to residential and commercial premises over a switched network architecture; mSwitch, a next generation network solution that enables service providers to migrate from existing circuit platforms to a next generation IP-based switch architecture, or to launch new applications in new deployment environments that have no legacy infrastructure; and a personal access system, as well as provides related consulting, technical, project, quality, and maintenance support-level services. The co mpany also provides broadband infrastructure products comprising broadband access products consisting of multi-service access node products; digital subscriber line (DSL) products, such as DSL modems, set-top boxes, and voice over the internet devices for residential and business customers; and gigabit Ethernet passive optical network products, as well as optical transport products, including packet optical transport network products, multi-service transport platform, and resilient packet ring. It sells its products through direct sales, original equipment manufacturers, distributors, resellers, agents, and licensees primarily in China, Japan, India, and other Asian markets; the United States; Latin America; and Europe. The company was formerly known as UTStarcom, Inc. and changed its name to UTStarcom Holdings Corp. in June 2011. UTStarcom Holdings Corp. was founded in 1991 and is headquartered in Beijing, China.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Dan Radovsky]

    DISH's reply
    As expected, DISH was ready with a response, but it wasn't one that defended its numbers. Instead, DISH filed a letter with the Federal Communications Commission repeating media accounts regarding a Department of Justice investigation of bribery charges against telecommunications equipment provider UTStarcom (NASDAQ: UTSI  ) . The DISH filing says Masayoshi Son was chairman of the board of UTStarcom during part of the time in which the bribery was said to occur.

  • [By Dan Radovsky]

    Today the satellite pay-TV provider filed a letter with the Federal Communications Commission pointing to media reports about a Department of Justice investigation into charges of bribery by telecommunications equipment provider UTStarcom (NASDAQ: UTSI  ) , also known as UTSI. The DOJ says the company gave $7 million to Chinese government officials in return for telecommunications sales contracts. In 2009 UTStarcom admitted to bribery and agreed to pay $1.5 million.

10 Best Low Price Stocks To Own For 2014: Unilever NV (UNA)

Unilever N.V. (NV) is a supplier of fast moving consumer goods. The two parent companies, NV and Unilever PLC (PLC), together with their group companies, operate as the Unilever Group (Unilever). The Company�� four product areas are Personal Care, Foods, Refreshment and Home Care. The Company's personal care, which includes sales of skincare and haircare products, deodorants and oral care products; foods, which includes sales of soups, bouillons, sauces, snacks, mayonnaise, salad dressings, margarines and spreads; refreshment, which includes sales of ice cream, tea-based beverages, weight-management products and nutritionally enhanced staples sold in developing markets and home care, which includes sales of home care products, such as laundry tablets, powders and liquids, soap bars and a range of cleaning products. Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Adi Narayan]

    Unilever (UNA) fell short on its public offer to raise its majority holding in Hindustan Unilever Ltd. (HUVR) to 75 percent, ending up with about a two-thirds stake after some shareholders of the Mumbai-based company opted not to sell.

  • [By Inyoung Hwang]

    Unilever (UNA) slipped 2.8 percent to 27.94 euros after saying sales growth slowed as trading in emerging markets deteriorated at a faster rate. Underlying group sales for the three months will rise 3 percent to 3.5 percent, the maker of Lipton tea and Dove soap said late yesterday in a statement. That compares with 5 percent growth in both the first half and second quarter.

10 Best Low Price Stocks To Own For 2014: Blonder Tongue Laboratories Inc. (BDR)

Blonder Tongue Laboratories, Inc. operates as a technology-development and manufacturing company primarily in the United States. It delivers television (TV) signal encoding, transcoding, digital transport, and broadband product solutions for a range of applications. The company offers analog video headend products, including integrated receiver/decoders, modulators, demodulators, channel combiners, and processors for use by system operators for signal acquisition, processing, and manipulation to create an analog channel lineup for further transmission. It also provides digital video headend products comprising high definition (HD) and standard definition MPEG-2 encoders and multiplexers, as well as quadrature phase shift key to quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) transcoders, digital QAM up-converters, and multiplexers; and digital 8VSB/QAM HDTV processors for the delivery of HDTV programming; and agile QAM Modulators. The company offers its digital video headend product s for use by system operators for the acquisition, processing, and manipulation of digital video signals. In addition, it provides hybrid fiber-coax (HFC) distribution products comprising broadband amplifiers, directional taps, splitters, and wall outlets for coax distribution and fiber optic transmitters, receivers, and couplers. The company offers its HFC distribution products to transport signals from the headend to homes, apartment units, hotel rooms, offices, or other terminal location along a fiber optic, coax, or HFC distribution network. It serves TV broadcasters, cable system operators, and lodging/hospitality video and high-speed Internet system operators, as well as institutional system operators or contractors that serve schools, universities, hospitals, prisons, corporations, sports stadiums, and airports. The company sells its products through sales force and stocking distributors. Blonder Tongue Laboratories, Inc. was founded in 1950 and is headquartered in Ol d Bridge, New Jersey.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Geoff Gannon]

    Bells should be ringing when you read that. Look at AEY�� business versus that of a competitor like Blonder Tongue (BDR). I�� just going to use GuruFocus data here. You can find the 10-year financial data for BDR here and the 10-year financial data for AEY here.

10 Best Low Price Stocks To Own For 2014: Cleco Corporation (CNL)

Cleco Corporation, through its subsidiaries, engages in the generation, transmission, distribution, and sale of electricity in Louisiana. As of December 31, 2009, it had ownership interest in 3 steam electric generating stations and 1 gas turbine with a combined name plate capacity of 1,359 megawatts, and a combined electric net generating capacity of 1,318 megawatts. The company served approximately 277,000 customers in 107 communities in the central and southeastern Louisiana. It also owns and operates a natural gas-fired merchant power plant, as well as has a 50% interest in another natural gas-fired merchant power plant located in Louisiana. Cleco Corporation was founded in 1934 and is based in Pineville, Louisiana.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Marc Bastow]

    Pineville, Louisiana-based utility holding company CLECO (CNL) raised its quarterly dividend 10.3% to 40 cents per share payable on May 15. No record or ex-dividend date for the payment was released.
    CNL Dividend Yield: 3.13%

  • [By David Dittman]

    Answer: I like NextEra Energy, which has significant renewables exposure and operates in a region with solid economic fundamentals. I also like smaller utes that operate in smaller footprints with solid long-term fundamentals, including Cleco (NYSE: CNL), Pinnacle West, Vectren (NYSE: VVC) and SCANA (NYSE: SCG).

  • [By Garrett Cook]

    Utilities sector was the top gainer in the US market on Thursday. Top gainers in the sector included Cleco (NYSE: CNL), Korea Electric Power (NYSE: KEP), and Regency Energy Partners LP (NYSE: RGP).

10 Best Low Price Stocks To Own For 2014: GSI Group Inc.(GSIG)

GSI Group Inc. designs, develops, manufactures, and sells laser-based solutions, laser scanning devices, and precision motion and optical control technologies worldwide. The company?s Laser Products segment provides lasers and laser-based systems for photonics-based applications, such as cutting, welding, marking, engraving, micro-machining, and scientific research. Its Precision Motion and Technologies segment designs, manufactures, and markets air bearing spindles, encoders, thermal printers, laser scanning devices, and light and color measurement systems to original equipment manufacturers. The company?s Semiconductor Systems segment offers laser based production systems for semiconductor, microelectronics, and electronics manufacturing. This segment?s products comprise WaferRepair for dynamic random access memory, flash memory chips, and LCDs; WaferMark for silicon suppliers and integrated circuit factories; and WaferTrim and Circuit Trim for analog and mixed signal sensor and chip resistor devices, as well as for resistor devices. The company sells its products primarily through direct sales force, resellers, distributors, and system integrators. It serves industrial, electronics, automotive, medical, packaging, aerospace, scientific, semiconductor, lighting, military, and motion picture markets. The company was formerly known as GSI Lumonics Inc. and changed its name to GSI Group Inc. in 2005. GSI Group Inc. was founded in 1970 and is based in Bedford, Massachusetts.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Eric Volkman]

    Electro Scientific Industries (NASDAQ: ESIO  ) has a new division under its corporate wing. The company has inked a definitive agreement to purchase the semiconductor systems unit of GSI Group (NASDAQ: GSIG  ) . The terms of the deal were not disclosed.

10 Best Low Price Stocks To Own For 2014: BlackRock Floating Rate Income Strategies Fund Inc (FRA)

BlackRock Floating Rate Income Strategies Fund, Inc. is a diversified closed-end management investment company. The Fund seeks current income and preservation of capital. It utilizes leverage through borrowings.

BlackRock Floating Rate Income Strategies Fund, Inc. invests in a diversified, leveraged portfolio consisting primarily of floating-rate debt securities and instruments. BlackRock Advisors, LLC. is the manager of the Fund. The Fund invests in floating rate loans, which are generally non-investment grade, made by banks, other financial institutions, and privately and publicly offered corporations. The portfolio of the BlackRock Floating Rate Income Strategies Fund, Inc. comprises floating rate loan interests (76%), corporate bonds (22%) and common stocks (2%) as of February 29, 2008.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By John Dowdee]

    The following 10 funds satisfied all of these conditions:

    BlackRock Float Rate Strategies (FRA). This CEF sells at a discount of 3%, which is low compared to an average premium of 2% over the past year. The distribution has been managed at 6.1% and a small amount (less than 10%) has been return of capital (ROC). However, this has not negatively affected net asset value (NAV) so has not been destructive. The fund holds 447 securities, with 90% in floating rate loans. FRA utilizes 27% leverage and has an expense ratio of 1.7%, including interest payments. Eaton Vance Floating Rate (EFR). This CEF sells at a 1% premium, which is low compared to an average premium of 5% over the past year. The distribution is 6.2%, none of which was ROC. The fund holds 800 securities, with 90% in floating rate loans. About 85% of the securities are from U.S. companies. EFR utilizes 35% leverage and has an expense ratio of 1.8% including interest payments. ING Prime Rate Trust (PPR). This CEF sells for a premium of 2%, which is below the average premium of 5%. It has a distribution of 6.8%, none of which was ROC. The fund has 350 holdings, virtually all in senior loans and from US companies. PPR utilizes 29% leverage and has a high expense ratio of 2.1%, including interest payments. Invesco VK Dynamic Credit Opportunities (VTA). This CEF sells for a discount of 5%, which is below the average discount of 1%. It has a distribution of 7.1%, none of which was ROC. The fund has 495 holdings, with 76% in floating rate loans. About 25% of the loans are from non-US companies. VTA utilizes a relatively low 20% leverage but still has a high expense ratio of 2.1%, including interest payments. Invesco VK Senior Income (VVR). This CEF sells for a discount of 1%, which is below the average premium of 3%. It has a distribution of 7.1%, none of which was ROC. The fund has over 500 holdings, with 89% in floating rate loans. Almost all (95%) securities are from US companies. VVR ut

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